4-CD deluxe boxed set with 160-page hardcover book, 121 tracks

Nominated as ''Best Historical Album'' for the 2019 Grammy Awards!

Rarely heard documentary audio material, including patriotic public service announcements, field news reports and even a plea for blood donations from Howdy Doody!
A richly illustrated, colorfully illustrated book with detailed artist and song notes as well as a history of the Korean War.

Audio mastering and the layout for 'Battleground Korea' was recently completed and we can now announce the release of this project for Bear Family (where it belongs) at the end of March 2018. The bound book will appear in a sturdy slipcase (approx. 28 x 28 cm) similar to the current Woody Guthrie 'Tribute Concerts' set. There will be detailed background information on each of the approximately 100 songs included in the edition, as well as artist biographies and extra chapters with transcriptions of the texts, illustrated with photos of that time, advertisements, flyers, magazines, record sleeves, book covers and other memorabilia.
Among the book's special chapters are an interview with Frankie Miller, recalling his time in Korea, and a nine-page section with photos and newspaper headlines describing Marilyn Monroe's visit to the troops.
At the time of the 1953 ceasefire agreement, which ended the war, some 327,000 US soldiers were still in Korea. In the course of 1954, this number was reduced by more than 30% to just over 225,000. Many of these troops were fortunate enough to see Marilyn Monroe during her four-day USO tour of the military bases in February of 54. Many of the photos of Marilyn, who fulfilled her 'patriotic duty' in Korea for thousands of grateful soldiers, were only recently found in the archives of the US Army and have rarely been seen before.

Media

Track Listing

• U.N. Spokesperson - War starts in Korea' (June 25, 1950) (narration)
• Lightnin’ Hopkins - War News Blues
• Sunshine Boys Quartet - God Please Protect America
• Wally Fowler and His Oakridge Quartet - Pray, Pray, Pray (For The U.S.A.)
• President Truman - President Truman speaks on war in Korea (April 1951) (narration)
• Hank Harral and His Palomino Cowhands - When They Raised The U.N. Flag In South Korea
• The Four Barons - Got To Go Back Again
• Sunnyland Slim and His Trio - Back To Korea Blues
• Harry Choates and His Fiddle - Korea, Here We Come
• Vince Mondi - Goodbye Maria (I'm Off To Korea)
• Paul Mims - My New Career Is In Korea
• Vance Brothers - Draftboard Blues
• Ray Anderson and Tennessee Mountaineers - Draft Board Blues
• Arkie Shibley and His Mountain Dew Boys - Uncle Sam Has Called My Number
• Smilin’ Eddie Varnado and The Delta Ranch Hands - I'm A Soldier Boy Again
• Harvey Stone - Here We Go Again
• Fats Domino - Korea Blues
• Clifford Blivens with the Johnny Otis Band - Korea Blues
• Willie Brown - Korea Blues
• Max Bailey - Sorry Girl Blues
• B.B. King - Questionnaire Blues
• John Lee Hooker - Questionnaire Blues
• Sonny Thompson - Uncle Sam Blues
• Lloyd Price and His Orchestra - Mailman Blues
• Big Boy Crudup - Mr. So And So
• Bob Newman - Greetings
• Tani Allen and His Tennessee Pals - I'm Back In The Army
• Cactus Pryor and His Pricklypears - (In Again, Out Again) Packing Up My Barracks Bags Blues
• Montana Slim (Wilf Carter, The Singing Cowboy) - The K.P. Blues
• Vic Damone / Vaughn Monroe - Message From Vic Damone (incl. excerpt from 'Sound Off' by Willie Lee Duckworth)
• The Rockets and Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra - The Girls Are Marching

• Newsreel Announcer - Heading for Korea
• The Gospel Pilgrims - Korea (Fightin' In The Foreign Land)
• Bill Cason - Foxhole In Korea
• Steve Rogers - Inchon
• Jimmie Osborne - Thank God For Victory In Korea
• John Carpino - The Ballad Of Chosin
• Oscar Brand & Short Arms - We're Moving On
• J.B. Lenoir - I'm In Korea
• Narrated by Eric Sevareid / Robert Pierpoint, CBS News - Robert Pierpoint under fire in Korea' (May 17, 1951) (narration)
• Delmore Brothers - Heartbreak Ridge
• Ernest Tubb - A Heartsick Soldier On Heartbreak Ridge
• The Four Lads with Narration by Edward R. Murrow - Where The Need Is
• Elton Britt - Korean Mud
• Howdy Doody - Request for blood donations
• Tommy (Weepin’ and Cryin’) Brown - No News From Home
• Sherman “Blues” Johnson & His Clouds of Joy - Lost In Korea
• Jack Powers - From A Foxhole
• William Cook Accompanied by The Marshall Brothers - A Soldier's Prayer
• Rocky Porter - Please Say A Prayer (For The Boys Over There)
• Lightnin’ Hopkins - Sad News From Korea
• Sonny Osborne - A Brother In Korea
• The Louvin Brothers - From Mother's Arms To Korea
• Carl Sauceman and The Green Valley Boys - Wrap My Body In Old Glory
• Slim Rhodes - Red White And Blue
• Elton Britt and The Skytoppers - Rotation Blues
• Billy Mize with Bill Woods and His Orange Blossom Playboys - Pusan
• Jim Eanes - A Prisoner Of War
• Kay Kellum and His Dixie Ramblers - When I Get Back
• The Kalvin Brothers - Somewhere In Korea

• Newsreel Announcer - A GI Writes to His Kids - a Posthumous Letter (September 1950)
• Red Foley - Dear Little Girls
• Tex Ritter - Daddy's Last Letter
• Tiny Hill - Two Letters
• Jackie Doll and His Pickled Peppers - When They Drop The Atomic Bomb
• Alan Jackson, CBS News / President Truman - The Truman-MacArthur dispute that led the President to fire the General' (April 11, 1951) (narration)
• R.D. Hendon With The Western Jamboree Cowboys - Oh! Mr. President
• General MacArthur - General Of The Army Douglas MacArthur Reports To Congress' (April 19, 1951) (narration)
• Gene Autry - Old Soldiers Never Die
• Jimmie Short and the Silver Saddle Ranch Boys - (Old Generals Never Die) They Just Fade Away
• Ray Snead - Fade Away Baby
• James E. Van Zandt - Rep. James E. Van Zandt supports the use of the Atomic Bomb in Korea' (May 8, 1953) (narration)
• Skeets McDonald - Please Daddy, Don't Go To War
• George Simerly and His Tennesseans - Why Does The Army Need My Daddy
• Cecil Gant - God Bless My Daddy
• Oklahoma Sweethearts - Don't Steal Daddy's Medal
• Jimmie Heap and The Melody Masters - God Is On Our Side
• The Dixie Ramblers - I'll Be Glad When It's Over (Over There)
• Roscoe Hankins - I'm Prayin' For The Day (When Peace Will Come)
• Edna McGriff - Heavenly Father
• Gene Autry - At Mail Call Today
• Jean Shepard with Recitation by Ferlin Husky - A Dear John Letter
• Pete Lane and Bernice Stabile - John's Reply
• Jack Cardwell - Dear Joan
• Jean Shepard with Recitation by Ferlin Husky - Forgive Me John
• Emitt Slay Trio - Male Call
• Hank Penny - A Letter From Home
• The Promenade Band with Male Chorus - I Like Ike
• General Eisenhower - I shall go to Korea...' (October 24, 1952) (narration)
• Little Maxie - Drive Soldier Drive
• Eddie Kirk - Five Star President

• President Eisenhower - 'announces an armistice in Korea...' (July 27, 1953) (narration)
• Sister Rosetta Tharpe - There's Peace In Korea
• The Revelers - Ike
• Jimmie Osborne - The Korean Story
• Arthur Big Boy Crudup - The War Is Over
• Lightening Hopkins - The War Is Over
• Soldier Boy Houston - Leavin' Korea
• Jimmie Dale - Hello Maria
• King Perry Orchestra with Vocal by Dell St. John - Welcome Home Baby
• Rose Brown and Jimmie Harris with Bubbles and His Band - Back From Korea
• Dave Bartholomew - No More Black Nights
• Jimmy Witherspoon - Back Home
• Margie Collie - His New War Bride
• Newsreel Announcer - Harry Holt brings Korean war orphans to Portland, Oregon' (circa 1956) (narration)
• Kwan Li - The Legend Of Harry Holt
• Don Windle with Band - The Iron Curtain Has Parted
• Ernest Tubb - Missing In Action
• Smilin’ Jim Eanes and His Shenandoah Valley Boys - Returned From Missing In Action
• Billy Strange - I'm Still A Prisoner
• Merle Travis - Re-Enlistment Blues
• Red River Dave - The Red Deck Of Cards
• Eddie Hill - I Changed My Mind (And I'll Go Home Again)
• Jim & Jesse and The Virginia Boys - Purple Heart
• Don Red Barry - White Cross In Korea
• Marvin Rainwater - Korea's Mountain Northland
• Carl Sauceman with the Green Valley Boys - A White Cross Marks The Grave
• Elton Britt - The Unknown Soldier
• Red River Dave - Searching For You, Buddy
• Don Reno, Red Smiley And The Tennessee Cutups - Forgotten Men
• Dick Curless - China Nights (Shina No Yuro)

Additional Details

Label: Bear Family Records

Genre: Country

Language: English

Run Time: 313 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 05/18/18

UPC: 5397102175183